10 Devastating Video Game Openings That Totally Broke You

2. Firewatch

Using an emotional montage to open a game (or any piece of media, really) can be a risky move. While laying the drama on thick in the opening section can do wonders for establishing a specific tone and getting audiences emotionally invested in the story, it can also lack the weight it's supposed to carry if it's not executed right, feeling either manipulative or empty because the characters have just been introduced.

Firewatch, thankfully, makes this kind of opening seem effortless. Intercut between small glimpses of protagonist Henry driving to his new job in the middle of nowhere is the backstory of why he's actually there in the first place, all told through text. Chronicling his relationship with his wife from their first meeting until their parting, it's revealed that he's partially escaping the burden of looking after her, as she developed early on-set dementia and both their lives spiralled out of control.

What's brilliant is the player has a small amount of control over how the backstory plays out. They can control certain responses in specific situations, which not only gives them an active stake in the relationship, but makes it all the more devastating when prompts pop up that the player doesn't want to click on, but they're forced to anyway.

It's emotional, harrowing, and surprisingly human, and the best thing about it is that it creates such a vivid, believable image of this relationship through text and music alone.